Anthony Beane Sr. enters his third season as an assistant at Southern and his recruiting prowess has been instrumental in the complete rebuilding of SIU's roster. In just two seasons, the Salukis were able to turn over the entire roster with new players.

Beane knows the Missouri Valley Conference inside and out, having served two stints at Illinois State. He coached five seasons under Tim Jankovich (2007-12) and two years on Tom Richardson's staff (2000-02). In between, he was an assistant coach at Saint Louis from 2002-06.

"He's a veteran coach who is familiar with the Missouri Valley Conference, and he's a strong recruiter who can help us in St. Louis and Chicago," said Hinson.

Beane is no stranger to post-season play. The Redbirds advanced to the NIT in 2001, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012, while the Billikens made the NIT in 2003 and 2004.

"I've known Coach Hinson for a long time," Beane said. "Being from the southeast Missouri area, my family grew up around Saluki Basketball, and it's great to be able to relocate to a familiar area."

Beane broke into the NCAA Division I coaching ranks with a three-year run at Southeast Missouri State (1997-2000). He helped the Redhawks to back-to-back 20-win seasons, including a 24-9 mark and a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 1999.

Beane's coaching start came in the junior college ranks. He spent the 1995-96 season as an assistant coach at Allen County Community College in Iola, Kan., before moving to West Plains Community College (now Missouri State-West Plains), for the following campaign. He coached both teams to 20-win seasons before joining the SEMO staff 1997.

As a player, Beane spent two seasons at Three Rivers Community College, where he garnered All-America honors and led the team to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championship in 1991. From there, he moved on to Kansas State, where he played for current Oregon coach Dana Altman. At K-State, he made an immediate impact. He was named the 1992 Big Eight Conference Newcomer of the Year and was twice named to the All-Conference team.

Beane and his wife, Katina, are the parents of two sons, Anthony Jr. and Darius. Anthony Jr. is a junior on the Saluki Basketball team, while Darius is a freshman in high school.